McGrail-Skinner ‘honoured’ in Under 18s local derby clash

“I am proud of the boys and proud of Clinton, I will always be proud of him and this just makes me so happy." - Amanda Skinner.

The Skinner family (centre) with players and coaches of the Grafton Ghosts and South Grafton Rebels’ Under 18s teams. Picture: Matthew Elkerton

RUGBY LEAGUE: The life of Clinton McGrail-Skinner was imortalised on the rugby league field yesterday after the Grafton Ghosts Under 18s won the inaugural local derby battle in commemoration of their late captain.

In what was an emotional clash, preceded by a moment's silence as a mark of respect, the Ghosts ran away with the contest in the second half to post a dominant 40-14 victory.

The mother of McGrail-Skinner, Amanda Skinner, was welcomed on to the field after the clash to award winning Ghosts' captain Mason Graham with the commemorative shield and the smile would not leave her face.

"It is just a great honour, I am so proud," Skinner told the Daily Examiner. "I am proud of the boys and proud of Clinton, I will always be proud of him and this just makes me so happy.

"Rugby league meant so much to him, he would be so proud of everybody

"Up up the Ghosties, I was so proud of the Ghosties and the Rebels because he did play for them for a while. I am just so happy today."

The emotions reached fever pitch for Ghosts captain Graham, who shared a dressing room with McGrail-Skinner for consecutive years at the South Grafton Rebels.

"It was a good day out here today for the first time we played for the Clinton McGrail-Skinner Memorial Shield," Graham said.

"It means a whole lot to me, I have been a real close friend of his for years, our friendship began back when I was 13, I had just come to play for the Rebels and Under 13s we won a grand final together, Under 14s we won a grand final together.

"We have played a lot of football together me and Clint. To come out here and play for Clint was something special."

Graham said the minute's silence before the clash brought back memories of last year when he first heard the news of the untimely passing of his mate.

"I'm going to be honest I was a bit emotional before the game, I did tear up during the moment of silence, he was a real close mate," he said.

"I remember last year when I got the news, I was going down to Coffs Harbour to play the Comets and I walked into the sheds, and he was a good friend with all the boys, and I walked in it was just silence.

"It was the quietest I had ever seen the boys last year. We went out there that day and won that game and now just playing for Clint today was good for me.

"It was good to get the win, and it was good to smash them."

The Clinton McGrail-Skinner Memorial Shield will become an annual clash between the two Under 18s arch rivals when they meet at Frank McGuren Field each year.

The Ghosts will now head in to a weekend off with the bye, with coach Col Speed organising a journey to the Redcliffe Dolphins rugby league club the former home of NRL stars Daly Cherry-Evans and Corey Norman.

The Ghosts are expected to be involved in training drills with the Queensland Cup squad.

Originally published as McGrail-Skinner ‘honoured’ in Under 18s local derby clash